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4chan is an anonymous online imageboard where users can post and discuss a wide variety of topics without registering an account.
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Also known as: Bias, radicalised bias
Adultification is when children are perceived as older than they are. Online spaces can amplify this through algorithms, mixed-age environments, and reduced age-based safeguards.
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Also known as: generative AI, AI bots
AI chatbots, for example ChatGPT, use generative AI to give human-like responses. They use LLMs (large language models) to provide dynamic and personalised responses to simulate human interaction.
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Also known as: meta glasses, smart glasses, smart eyewear, wearables, AI agentic eyewear
AI glasses are eyewear with integrated AI technology. Functions can include: cameras and microphones, augmented displays, calls and messages, navigation and maps, information and search, translation.
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AirDrop is a wireless way to share and receive photos and documents.
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Alexa is Amazon’s voice-controlled smart assistant, designed to help people manage everyday tasks, control their home appliances, and access information hands-free.
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Also known as: social media algorithms, social media feeds, recommended content, radical content, extremism, online algorithms
Social media apps use your likes and views to decide what videos or posts to show you next. This can sometimes include things that are upsetting, untrue, or risky.
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Also known as: anorexia coaches, thinspo accounts, anorexia coaching
An anacoach is a blend of two words: anorexia and coach. Anacoaches recommend dangerous weight loss techniques online.
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Also known as: animated porn, ecchi, erotic anime
Hentai is animated pornography made in the style of Japanese anime (animated shows) or manga (comic books).
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Apex Legends is a fast-paced online battle-royale game where teams of players compete to be the last squad standing. Each player chooses a “Legend”, which is a character with unique abilities that encourage teamwork and strategic play.
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BeReal is a social media app that prompts users to post unfiltered photos within a two-minute window of time every day.
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Bitcoin is a type of digital money (digital currency). People use it to send and receive money over the internet. Bitcoin is not controlled by banks or governments.
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Bumble is a dating and social networking app. People find matches online, which can lead to offline dating and relationships.
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Also known as: parental controls, content filters, content restriction
Online filters and safety tools can help to stop access to adult content and websites. They can be bypassed by children and young people using certain techniques.
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Cash App is a mobile payment service that allows users to send, receive, and manage money directly from their smartphones.
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Character.AI is an AI chatbot platform where users can create and chat with “characters”. These are AI-powered avatars designed with personalities, past experiences and the ability to respond in conversation.
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ChatGPT is a chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to answer questions and assist with tasks.
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Chatroulette is a video chat platform that pairs users at random. Users can connect with strangers globally.
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CLONEit is an app that lets you transfer data and files from one phone to another. It is only available for phones running the Android smartphone operating system (which is created by Google).
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Also known as: online communities
Online communities are groups of people who interact online for entertainment or to socialise. These communities can often have shared interests or beliefs.
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Also known as: drug trafficking, drug dealing, organised crime, criminal gangs
‘County lines’ is the transporting of illegal drugs by organised crime groups across police or local authority boundaries. The ‘line’ is the mobile number used to take the order of drugs.
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Also known as: child sexual exploitation material (CSEM), child abuse material, self-generated child sexual abuse material (SGCSAM)
Child sexual abuse material refers to any image, video, or representation of a child engaged in actual or simulated sexual activities.
Find out more about Creation and distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)
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Online criminal exploitation is where technology is used to manipulate or pressure people into committing crimes.
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Also known as: crushmate
CrushAI (by Joy Timeline, not to be confused with CrushAI by X Photokit) is an AI-powered tool that allows users to upload photos and generate manipulated images that appear nude or sexualised. It is part of a wider group of AI “nudification” apps.
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Also known as: crypto trading, crypto exchange, digital asset trading, CFD trading
Crypto trading is the buying, exchanging, and selling of cryptocurrency.
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Also known as: crypto scams, scams, fraud
A cryptocurrency is a piece of data used as a medium of exchange. They are a form of payment like traditional currencies like pound sterling. Cryptocurrency scams target people with fraudulent schemes and phishing tactics.
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Also known as: bullying, online bullying, online harassment, cancel culture
Cyberbullying is the use of digital technology to bully someone online. Cyberbullying can have a psychological, social, or physical impact on someone.
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Also known as: online sexual harassment, sexual harassment, unsolicited image-sharing, indecent exposure, nude sharing, dick pics
Cyberflashing is when someone sends sexual imagery to someone else digitally, without their consent. Cyberflashing is sexual harassment.
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Also known as: viral trends, online challenges, trending challenges
Viral challenges are trends involving people filming themselves attempting physical ‘dares’. The viral nature can persuade people to attempt challenges that can be physically harmful or even lethal.
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Also known as: darknet, deep web, black web, onion routing
The dark web is a part of the internet where people can get information, communicate and trade. Sites on the dark web can’t be found by search engines.
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Personal data is someone’s information. Data privacy refers to someone’s control over how this information is gathered, shared or stored.
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Discord is a social media site that people use to communicate through voice, video, and text. It was originally built for gamers – who use it to coordinate gameplay.
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Also known as: doxing, dropping dox, unmasking
Doxxing is when someone’s personal or private information is shared online without their permission.
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Earnably is a platform where users complete online tasks, surveys, or watch videos to earn points that can be exchanged for gift cards or cash.
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eBay is an online marketplace where users can buy and sell new or used items, ranging from clothes and electronics to collectibles.
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Technology (tech) is constantly evolving. Being aware of emerging tech and how it could be used can be beneficial, but can also present potential risks.
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Ethereum is a digital platform where people can run programs and make agreements online without needing a middleman, like a bank or company. It also has its own digital money called Ether (ETH), which can be bought, sold, or used online.
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Also known as: FB
Facebook is a social networking site where users can connect with friends, join groups, post comments and share photographs.
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Also known as: munchausen syndrome, munchausen's, factitious disorder
Factitious Disorder Imposed on Self (FDIS) is where someone pretends to be ill or unwell. When this takes place online, it is also known as ‘Munchausen by internet’.
Find out more about Factitious Disorder Imposed on Self (FDIS)
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Family Link is a parental controls tool by Google that helps parents manage and supervise their child’s Google account and device usage.
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Technology (tech) increasingly plays a role in how families interact, engage, and communicate with each other.
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Also known as: Fake online accounts, fake social accounts, burner accounts
A finsta is a private secondary social media account, originally associated with Instagram but now common across platforms like TikTok and Snapchat, used to share more unfiltered or personal content with a small, trusted audience.
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Fortnite is an online multiplayer game where players compete, create and socialise in a shared virtual world.
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Also known as: online gaming
Many young people play and connect using online games, via different devices, platforms, apps and genres. There are many cultures, trends and online communities around them.
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Also known as: artificial intelligence, chatbot, deep fakes
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to create images, video and text.
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Also known as: gift vouchers, digital vouchers
Gift cards & prepaid cards can be used by children and young people to spend and transfer money on and offline. Due to being harder to trace and track, they can be misused for money laundering, fraud, scams, child exploitation and coercion.
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Also known as: GTA
Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is a popular video game series.
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Grok is an AI chatbot developed by xAI and integrated into the social media platform X. It allows users to ask questions, generate text, and have conversations with artificial intelligence in real time.
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Horizon Worlds is a virtual reality social platform. It is primarily designed for Meta Quest VR headsets. Non-VR access is limited or unavailable.
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Also known as: stolen identity, ID theft, identity fraud, personal fraud
Identity theft is when someone steals someone else’s personal information.
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Also known as: misogyny, manosphere, toxic masculinity
Incel culture refers to a subculture, usually involving men or boys. 'Incel' refers to being "involuntarily celibate”.
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Also known as: insta
Instagram is a social media platform where users can share photos, videos and Stories with their followers. It allows users to create personal or business profiles, post visual content and engage through likes, comments and direct messages.
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Kickstarter is an online crowdfunding platform where people raise money to support creative projects. Creators share an idea and set a funding goal. Supporters (also known as “backers”) pledge money to support the project.
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Kik is a mobile messaging app where users communicate through text, photos, videos and group chats. It allows people to connect using a username rather than a phone number, giving users more privacy and control over how they interact online.
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Also known as: LoL
League of Legends (LoL) is a popular online multiplayer game where two teams of five players compete to destroy the opposing team’s base.
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Also known as: streaming
Live streaming is a way people create or watch videos online in real time.
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A loot box is a feature found in many online games. It contains a random, hidden prize of variable value. Loot boxes can be earned through gameplay or bought
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Midjourney is an AI image-generation tool that creates images from written prompts. It has a chatbot-style interface. Users describe what they want to create and it produces visual artwork almost instantly.
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Misinformation and disinformation are forms of false information and content that are shared online.
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The ways in which young people can spend, make and lose money online are varied, and can play a big role in their lives.
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Also known as: cleaning money, money washing, smurfing, squaring
Money laundering is a way to make illegal obtained money look legal. Money can be ‘cleaned’ by buying things, making investments, or passing physical money through bank accounts.
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Money muling is a form of money laundering. It is a way of making criminally obtained money appear legitimate and less suspicious.
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Nest is a smart‑home brand from Google. It is primarily associated with smart speakers. It can also be used to control other home appliances.
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Also known as: Undress apps, undress AI, explicit deepfakes, deepnude tools, nudification platforms
Nudification and undress apps use AI to create ‘deepfake’ sexual images of people. These can be based on real images that have been ‘undressed’ or ‘nudified’.
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OkCupid is an online dating platform. It is focused more around personal interests and values than its rivals Tinder and Bumble.
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Omegle was an online chat platform where users connected with strangers through text or video conversations. The original Omegle site shut down in 2023.
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Also known as: virtual harassment, online abuse, digital harassment, digital abuse
Online abuse and harassment is a type of abuse that happens online or through the use of digital technologies.
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Also known as: diet trends, diets, trending diets
Many diet trends have become popular with young people online. These trends spread quickly on social media. Sometimes, they can be misleading, unhealthy or potentially harmful.
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Also known as: gang membership, organised crime, gang crime, gang culture
Drug and gang culture refers to criminal groups who have a shared identity. Members might live in the same area or have similar lifestyles. This culture is sometimes shown or celebrated online.
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Also known as: cyberstalking, online harassment, bullying, harassment
Online stalking is stalking and harassment of someone online or by using digital technology. Cyberstalking is a fixated, obsessive, unwanted repeat behaviour (e.g. someone might message another person several times a day, even after being blocked).
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OnlyFans is an online subscription platform where creators share content with paying subscribers. It allows creators to post photos, videos, and messages for followers who often support them financially.
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Overwatch is a team‑based online first‑person shooter (FPS) where players compete in matches built around objective‑driven gameplay.
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PayPal is an online payment platform that enables users to make payments, purchases and money transfers via an online account. Users link bank accounts or cards to their PayPal balance.
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Also known as: scams, cyber attack, phishing scam, phishing attack, phishing attempt
Phishing is a type of online scam. It’s used to get people to share personal information or download malicious software.
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Phone Clone is an app that transfers data from one smartphone to another. It supports both Android and iOS devices and allows people to move contacts, messages, photos, videos, apps, and other files.
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Pi.ai is an AI chatbot designed to act as a personal companion and conversational assistant.
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Also known as: organised pile-on, dog-piling, flaming, harassment, hate raids, cancel culture
Pile-ons involve individuals joining together to harass, annoy, or threaten a person or online community. They are often started by a single person.
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Also known as: digital piracy, online piracy, copyright infringement, illegal downloads
Piracy involves the downloading, using or sharing of copyrighted material without permission. It can involve films, music, software, branding or video games.
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Pornhub is an adult website that hosts sexually explicit videos. It is strictly intended for adults and is not appropriate for children or teenagers.
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Also known as: porn, internet porn, online porn, online pornography, pornographic content
Sexually explicit material, or pornography, is commonly found online. It is most commonly pictures or video, but increasingly can include livestreams, audio and written words.
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Proxies are tools that act as intermediaries between a user’s device and the internet. They can mask a user’s IP address, making it appear as though they are accessing the web from a different location.
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PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) is an online battle-royale game where up to 100 players compete on a large map to be the last person or team standing. Players search for weapons, equipment and vehicles while trying to avoid/eliminate opponents.
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Radicalisation is the process that results in someone supporting extreme beliefs and ideologies. People can be radicalised online.
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Also known as: shifting realities, shiftok, r/shifting realities, lucid dreaming
Reality-shifting is a form of escapism. It can involve lucid dreaming, self-hypnosis, or transcendental meditation.
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Reddit is an online discussion platform made up of thousands of user-created communities called ‘subreddits’. Each subreddit focuses on a specific topic, interest, or theme.
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Technology plays a big role in how many children and young people manage relationships with friends, family, communities and romantic partners.
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Replika is an AI chatbot app designed to act as a friend or companion. Users can chat with their Replika about daily life, emotions, or personal issues, and the chatbot learns from conversations to sound more human over time.
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Also known as: non-consensual image sharing, private image sharing, intimate image abuse, image-based sexual abuse, indecent images of children, child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
Revenge porn is a term used to describe when someone’s private or sexual material is shared without their consent. This is often to cause them embarrassment or distress
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Ring is a smart-home security brand known for video doorbells, cameras, and alarm systems. Its devices are designed to help people watch over their home remotely.
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Roblox is a gaming platform with millions of games and experiences created by Roblox and independent creators.
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Also known as: romance fraud, dating scams, catfishing
Romance scams are a type of fraud, where someone uses an online relationship to manipulate someone or steal money.
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Also known as: online dating
Romantic relationships can be supported by using tech, including hardware (e.g mobile devices) and software (e.g. online platforms). Tech can be used to find and support romantic relationships in many positive ways, it can also be misused or abused.
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Also known as: black markets, online black markets, dark web, cybercrime
People can buy and sell illegal goods and services online, often in black markets. Sometimes, this can be in an encrypted area of the internet called the dark web.
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Also known as: self-harming content, self-injury content, pro-self-harm content, self-injurious behaviour (SIB), non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), content around depression and suicide
Self-harm content shows or documents the act of self-harming. This might involve behaviours which are associated with self-harm or someone’s lived experience of self-harming.
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Also known as: sexual extortion, sexual exploitation, sexual coercion, cyber extortion, Financially Motivated Sexual Exploitation (FMSE)
Sextortion is an abbreviated term for ‘sexual extortion’. It is a form of blackmail, when someone threatens to publish someone else’s private or sexual material without their consent.
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Also known as: sending nudes, sexting, nude selfies, dick pics, nude sharing, bait out page
‘Sharing nudes’ refers to the act of sending naked or semi-naked photos or videos. Young people might share a nude image through a romantic or online relationship. Young people can also be pressured, coerced or groomed into sharing nude images.
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Also known as: radical content, extremism
Extremist content can be video, imagery, text or audio that promotes an extreme ideology. This content can be shared online.
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Also known as: oversharing, data sharing, sharing personal data
Sharing personal information is a common and sometimes necessary part of going online. As chatbots become more common, there are more risks to privacy and online safety.
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Also known as: gore sites, shock content
Shock sites are websites which host graphic or extreme content. This content can be gory, pornographic or depict illegal activity.
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Also known as: virtual gambling, virtual betting, skins, NFTs, loot boxes
Skin gambling is a type of online gambling, using virtual items called ‘skins’ as gambling chips. Most skin gambling sites are illegal.
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Also known as: skincare influencers, social media influencers
A ‘skinfluencer’ is someone who shares content on social media platforms, giving advice and opinions on skincare products.
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Also known as: #skinnytok, disordered eating
‘SkinnyTok’ is a trend and hashtag that went viral on TikTok and other social media sites. It encourages potentially unhealthy eating habits and body image ideals.
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Also known as: snap, pans
Snapchat is a social media and private messaging platform.
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Also known as: Peer pressure, online pressure
Young people can feel pressure around social media. This can include pressure to: constantly use apps, follow trends and fit in and compare themselves to others.
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Also known as: fake accounts, false accounts, anonymous accounts
Sock puppets are social media accounts. They are used by someone to hide their real identity.
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Sora is an AI‑powered text‑to‑video generation tool developed by OpenAI. It creates short AI‑generated videos based on user prompts.
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Spyic is a phone‑monitoring app that lets you track activity on Android and iOS devices.
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Spyine was a remote phone‑monitoring app that let people track activity on Android and iOS devices from a web browser. Following a significant data breach, the spyine website was taken offline in May 2025.
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Also known as: investment scams, investment fraud, fake startups
A startup is a new or emerging business that offers people the opportunity to invest money, often for quick or significant returns. A startup scam is when this opportunity is fraudulent.
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Steam is an online platform where users can buy, download and play games, as well as join communities related to their favourite games. Steam is the world’s largest distributor of PC games.
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Telegram is a messenger service where you can access chat across different devices.
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Also known as: TPB
The Pirate Bay is an online platform where users can search, download, and contribute pirated content.
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Threads is a social media platform centred around short, text-based posts and public conversations, made by Meta and linked to Instagram accounts.
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TikTok is a social media platform where users create and share short videos, often featuring music, trends, humour, or personal stories. Its creative tools and fast-moving content make it very appealing to young people.
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Tinder is an online dating app that allows users to match with other people.
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Also known as: Onion Router, Tor browser, The Onion Network
The Tor network is a free, open-source software that supports anonymous communication and protects user privacy by routing internet traffic through encrypted layers of networks. Tor can be used to access the dark web.
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Also known as: harassment, flaming, hate raids, bullying, hate speech
Trolling is when someone is harassed online. Trolling can be done by one person or by a group. Trolling is designed to provoke, annoy, offend, or threaten people. People who engage in trolling are called trolls. Trolls target a single person or group
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Tumblr is a social media platform and microblogging site where users can share text, photos, gifs, videos, links, and audio with their followers.
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Twitch is a live-streaming platform where creators broadcast themselves playing games, chatting or sharing creative activities in real time.
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Undress.app is an app that allows users to digitally manipulate images to create nudified or sexualised versions of people’s photos.
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Venmo is a payment app used by young people for quick financial transactions. Young people use it to send or receive money from friends or family.
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Viber an app where users can voice and video call, message and create group chats.
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Vinted is an online marketplace where users can buy, sell, and swap second-hand clothing and accessories.
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Also known as: Com networks, extreme coercion
Violent online coercion networks are virtual networks of criminals who engage in illegal acts, including the grooming and coercion of children.
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Also known as: VPN, VPNs
VPN stands for virtual private network. A VPN is technology that helps users remain more private and anonymous when browsing online.
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Also known as: VR
Virtual reality is technology designed to create immersive online environments, often through the use of a wearable headset.
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VRChat is an online virtual reality platform. It can be used with a VR headset or on desktop mode without VR. Users create an avatar and can explore thousands of user-created worlds, including realistic environments, fantasy or sci-fi settings.
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Whatsapp is messaging service where users can send text, voice messages and video messages, and send media.
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Wizz is a social media platform where users can connect with new people through chat and video.
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X (Twitter) is a social media platform where users post short messages, called tweets, and interact by liking, sharing, or replying. Young people may use it to follow trends, celebrities, or friends and join public conversations.
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YouTube is an online video sharing and social media platform provided by Google.
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Yubo is a social media app that connects users through live streaming and matching with others by swiping on their profile.
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